Bailing Out Benji

06/05/2026

LOOK AT OUR IMPACT!!

Last weekend our small organization sponsored a free microchip and vaccine clinic in Ames, Iowa for members of our community that need help with access to veterinary care. We told you that we doubled the amount of appointments ahead of time but what that really means is that 744 vaccines were provided and 188 microchips were implanted in dogs and cats in our community (some were chipped at one of our two previous free clinics!) The shelter later let us know that several of these animals had never seen a veterinarian before and that our help is critical into keeping animals in our community safe and healthy!

This year the event cost our nonprofit $6990, which is a huge amount for us to shoulder!! We never know exactly what the cost will be because it depends on how many services each pet needs, but we will always say yes regardless! Thanks to the support of so many of you, we nearly covered all of that ahead of time!

If you would like to help us 'break even' with this expensive veterinary bill, we still have $2000 left to cover to make sure all of these services are paid for before our clinic can be considered 'paid in full'. You can send your donation by clicking on this link:

https://secure.everyaction.com/MEz2WXCI9UuWdl2_fwFRrg2

Thank you, thank you for helping us make all of these doggies and kitties healthier and happier by allowing them to have access to veterinary care 💙 This will remain one of our favorite events of the year and we are so grateful to be able to have such a huge impact on our community!

06/04/2026

We are so excited to have been welcomed into the Ames Regional Economic Alliance! After starting our nonprofit right here in Ames 15 years ago, this is such an honor 💙 We are so grateful to Amy at MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union for nominating us and for sponsoring a portion of our fee!!

We love our community and we are eager to see what new friendships and partnerships await us through the Alliance!

We are excited to welcome Bailing Out Benji as a member of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. Bailing Out Benji is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about responsible pet adoption and raising awareness about puppy mills and commercial breeding practices. Learn more about their mission and resources by visiting their website today! www.bailingoutbenji.com

06/04/2026

UPDATE: As you know, in December the USDA announced that they were 'cracking down' on puppy mills by holding their problematic facilities accountable! This meant that they would be refusing to renew the licenses of problematic facilities and revoking the license of others. While that scares us because we know that a 'cancelled license' rarely means a 'closed kennel', we are happy that this agency appears to be stepping up to hold some of the worst facilities accountable.

We have been able to speak with the Deputy Administrator of APHIS, Bernadette Juarez, several times over the last few months and met her in person over the past weekend! We were able to hear more about their administrative process and how they are really taking a deep look at their standards to see how they can be improved in order to continue pushing for animal welfare. While we wish the standards were raised decades ago, we can all agree that now is the time to get new ones in place!

Below are a few updates so far for 2026 regarding USDA licenses and the mass exodus of breeders leaving the program:

- 129 breeders (so far) have cancelled their license in 2026
- 2 breeders have had their licenses revoked
- 10 breeders obtained a new license after cancelling

Based on our records, only 43 of those facilities who have cancelled hold a state license which allows them to operate on the local level, but 76 of the facilities dropped off of the radar with no local licensing or welfare standards to follow. Many of these facilities have a history of selling to stores or are currently selling puppies online!

For the first time in recent history, the number of USDA licensed dog breeders has dropped below 2,000- and less than half of the states regulate dog breeders on the local level. This leaves alarming gaps in oversight that could allow for dogs and puppies to suffer, which is why we are firm believers in meaningful policy that will help put eyes on dogs that exist within the commercial breeding system!

If you want to know more about our research, you can play around with our directory to see what is happening across the country! You can access that by clicking on this link: https://directory.bailingoutbenji.com

06/03/2026

This is an event you won’t want to miss! Join us in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, September 19th as we celebrate 15 years of impact, advocacy, education, and the incredible community that has helped our small nonprofit grow into a national voice against puppy mills.

The Bark After Dark Gala brings together supporters, animal lovers, and changemakers for an unforgettable celebration benefiting Bailing Out Benji!

We are currently seeking sponsors for the night! If your family, organization, or business would like to be a part of this special celebration, please explore sponsorship opportunities here: https://secure.everyaction.com/do2sZtCutUe4ZY898EgRhQ2?

We can't wait to see you!

06/03/2026

Pet food pantries, vaccine/wellness clinics, and access to free or low-cost spay/neuter options are all important things that families must have access to if cities want to be healthy pet communities! In this clip, you will hear Kristen talk about our recent free vaccine/microchip clinic and how this upstream work must be acknowledged in the animal welfare space and by our city leaders.

On this week's episode of our podcast and Youtube show "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills", we also give highlights of our birthday month celebrations and share plans for our upcoming Gala! You can listen on your preferred podcast app or watch on Youtube.

06/02/2026

If you bought a dog in the past or are looking to buy in the future, make sure you check out our directory to see what we know!

https://directory.bailingoutbenji.com

We are so grateful to Axios for featuring our groundbreaking database of licensed breeders, puppy stores, and websites from across the country! Learn more about our work by reading the story below:
https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/05/28/bailing-out-benji-breeder-dog-puppy-mill-database

What other information would you like to see us include on our website?

06/01/2026

THANK YOU to everyone who donated so far to help us sponsor the Ames Animal Shelter's wellness clinic this past Saturday! These are just a few of the adorable faces who received necessary vaccinations and microchips for free! 🫶

The clinic went so smoothly on Saturday thanks to the incredible work put in by Ames Animal Shelter staff and around 30 volunteers. We had around 200 families come through in four hours and are so happy that we could help out!

Due to opening up twice as many appointment slots than we initially planned for, we are still looking to raise around $2,000 to have the clinic completely covered by donations. If you're in a place where you're able to help, please consider making a donation here: https://secure.everyaction.com/MEz2WXCI9UuWdl2_fwFRrg2

05/31/2026

Today is the final day of May, and we are so incredibly close to reaching our $15,000 goal for the month. Because of this community, we only have $3,100 left to raise!!

If you have followed us for a while, you know that we don’t do fundraising pushes very often. Most days, we are focused on the work itself- the research, the education, the families, the advocacy, the long hours behind the scenes. So when we do ask for help, it means the world to us to see so many people show up with kindness, encouragement, donations, shares, and support!

This month reminded us that Bailing Out Benji is supported by a community of people who believe animals deserve better and who believe compassion can create real change.

To every person who has donated, shared a post, volunteered, attended an event, or simply cheered us on this month: thank you. Truly.

If you’ve been thinking about making a gift, today is the day to help us cross the finish line. Whether it’s $5, $25, or more, every donation gets us closer to our goal and helps fuel the work ahead.

We are only $3,100 away. Thank you for supporting this work for the past 15 years, and for years to come 💙

You can make your donation here: https://secure.everyaction.com/0dQVOHirMU-jZmPplXFC2g2

05/29/2026

PET WELLNESS CLINIC UPDATE:

We just got some wonderful news. Rockstar Cocker Rescue has stepped up with a $500 matching challenge for tomorrow's free Pet Wellness Clinic!

That means every dollar donated for the clinic today will be DOUBLED, up to $500. Remember: each pet costs just $15 to vaccinate and microchip. With this match, $15 from you becomes $30. That's two families who get to keep their pets healthy and safe.

We continue to be amazed by the people in this community who believe that keeping families together matters. If you've been waiting for a sign to give, this is it.

Donate at the link below and your gift will go twice as far today 🫶

https://secure.everyaction.com/MEz2WXCI9UuWdl2_fwFRrg2

05/29/2026

Our Utah volunteers got to meet so many people during their protest last weekend! First, two police officers stopped by to say hello and they got to briefly talk about puppy mills with them and also mention that in March West Jordan City passed an ordinance banning the sale of dogs and cats on the side of the road and in parking lots. They didn't stay long but were thankful for the information asked that our volunteers call them if anyone gave them problems.

Then, a young woman, who was in the drive-through at a nearby restaurant with friends, saw them. She came over and asked what they were protesting and they talked with her for a bit about puppy mills. She asked if she could hold a sign, but she only had a couple of minutes until her friend got through the drive-through, and our volunteers welcomed her right in! Even if you only have two minutes, you can make an impact.

After that, two young people were walking down the sidewalk and asked what they were protesting so they talked about puppy mills with them, too. They asked if they could hold signs and ended up staying for around half an hour. It is so nice to see community come together like it did during their protest 🫶

In addition to all the in person support, they got plenty of honks and waves from folks driving by! Our volunteer Amy said, "I don't know if the honks were for the cause or our sick dance moves, but I'll take it."